The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-01-13
Sketches for the Boys.
BY REV. T. GERRISH.
NO, ). TIE COWBOY.

| NO. ). TIE COWBOY.
| The cowboy is an institution peculiar to the
west. His tribe though youthful in history is
both numerous and important. Its growth, like
all else in the west, has no parallel elsewhere.
lie must be seen and known in order to be APP
p:eciated. Not seen in the struggling, long
haired medical or circus tramps which are oc-
| casiOnally seen upon our streets, but seen in
| their native clement-the great ranges of the
| west.
Printers ink Gall powerful though it be IN
other directons) cannot reproduce the cowboy
around the firesides of New England. In this,
as in many other eases, those who know the
least about them have written the most and
| thus the confusion of ignorance has become
confounded. And these pen and ink artists
have succeeded in creating the impression that
the cowboys are a desperate, brutal, drunken,
| murderous lot of fellows who live upon the
plains simply because they are outlawed in
| civilized localities.
| To all of which, in behalf of those to whom
write. plead ''not guilty. Judging from OBJ
| servatiOn ] am convinced that as a class their
intelligence will average with almost any
| other class of men in the country. Some of
| them it is true have always lived upon the
frontier and are destitute of the graces of pol
| ished society, but in the matter of good sound
| common sense they have no superOrs and but
| few equals. Many others have enjoyed all the
| advantages of the schools and well fitted
| for positions in any business or society, and
are following their present adventurous life
simply because they prefer it to the more con-
| Servative caings.
| The cowboys dress is as unique as the pro-
| fe>>on he follows. Buckskin jacket and pants.
| often trimmed with leather tasSclS quill work
and beads in true Indian style, flannel shirt. a
| broad trimmed white or brown sombrero with
| brown leathern band and buckle of same color,
stout belt at the waist in which is carried a
| knife and revolver. good thick boots armed at
| the heel with big Mexican spurs. Their Steeds
are the small. fleet, strong Iimbed. hardy Mex
| lean ponies. At the saddle bow is carried the
trIistv lariat. roiIed up in neat roll. In feas
of horseman>hip they will excel the Indians
| themselves.
When our express train rolled into the depot
| at Mandan, there WAS a big crowd of cowboys
| around the station. One of them was mounted
| OH a fiery. unbroken pony, which was terrified
by the approaching train. The untamed blood
| of his ancestors boiled in his veins. and. mad
dcnc'l with fright and rage, he undertook to
| hherate himself from the masters rein. Plung-
| Ing. rearing and kicking. he dashed at break
neck rate hack and forth acrosS the fields.
while the rider freely used whip and spur to
maintain his authority. 1t was a trial of sci
| encc against strength. When the StruyuIe lie
| ended the cowboy was the victor. The pony.
| with reekin@. bleeding tlanks. stood with bowed
| head within six feet of the passing train, con-
| quered.
These men spend the most of their time upon
the range. looking after the stock committed
| to their care. But few persons are aware of
the immense financial interests of which they
| are cl>todianS and protectors. Hundreds of
| thousands of dollars invested in cattle are turn
| ed loose upon the ranges; half dozen cowboys
is the only protection they have from the
| depredationS of Indians and all other thieves
| who roam upon the plains: also from the
| thousand other dangers which may environ
them. With but few exceptions they are true
| to their trusts. and in the midst of raging
storms, piercing cold, fierce winds and the
| burning heat of summer they toll on. faithful
to their employers. Their fare is of the coarS-
est kind: they spend their nights either in
| little tents or upon the ground in the open air
| Durin" the day they are larger part of the
time i'll the saddle. racing across the plains
| ever on the alert to detect any danger that may
threaten their stock.
The outrages which they commit are gcncr
ally inspired by liquor Alcohol works in
similar way the world over. 1t inspires mel
to lie. steal, shoot and murder on the plains just
as it does in New England. Its universal Gus
tom everywhere is TO make men foolish anC
brutal. So when the cowboys take a vacation
and ride into town to celebrate the occasion Oh
poor whiskey, you had better look out, and il
you have cyclone cellar you will do well tt
occupy it. for the most dangerous cyclone thai
ever existed west of the Mississippi river is ;
band of rum crazed cowboys riding around the
town. who for harmless amusement are shoot
ING the cigars from your mouth or trmmin.
your muStache with their revolver>. At >url
| times there is mischief in the air. and YOU W il
want to retire from the public gaze. If under
such conditions they would only practice the>,
| prankS upon those who sold them the Liquor
the custom should be encouraged for the pub
| lie good; and then when the target material il
| the west is exhausted we would invite one OF
| two brigates of cowboys to come east each yea
upon an annual vacation, and practice theil
gifts upon our eastern rumSellers until theil
tribe should become extinct.
Boys, what do yon think OF my proposition
| The COW boy does not propose to he out,on,
| by any person. Ill any way. Even in story tell
Ing they tower above all competitors. One da,
| entered a variety store in a small village il
Washington Territory A crowd of men wer,
lounging upon boxes and barrels spinnin.
yarns. and some of those stories We're tough. tt
say the least. 4 tall, lank, lean, ver,lant look
ing cowboy was stretched out over three OF
four barrels, while his legs We're coiled upol
one end of the counter. He listened silentl,
until his turn came. Then he began like this
"Iou see two year ago was grazing on tothe
side of Prickly Pear. One night was ,lc>pru
tired and slept sound that the Reds run of
my pony and stole my hull outfit. l twisted
grass rope and started hoping that might fin,
IA stray CayuSe. Down in a little oole tha
was spring of water and when | was abou
ten feet away from it | seed Il big mule dee
drinking Thar was no time to lose, thru on,
end of my rope and got a turn round his hin,
leg. then the deer started to run, and do yol
believe it had to follow that deer ten miles be
fore would gain enough on him to get hold o
his throat so could use my knife" The crow,
was all silent, and the innocent cowboy laid hi
head out over another barrel and Went to sleep
1t has been my privilege to meet the cowboy
under various circumstances. l have share,
the hospitality of their homes, slept in thci
tents, ate at their tables, ridden in the baggage
wagon and undertaken to ride their ponies.
have in every case found them kind hearted
brave, generous intelligent men, always read,
to contera favor upon pilgrim by either shar
ing with him their dinner, or to act as his guild
and escort across the plains to some point whic
he wished to reach. My associations with then
will always awaken the most pleasant memo
, | rieS. L. G.